


Needles of Love

by walking_travesty



Series: 3 little words [2]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Damen is a zoo keeper, Fluff, M/M, Modern AU, just a tiny bit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-04 05:36:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10984443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/walking_travesty/pseuds/walking_travesty
Summary: A modern au.Damen is a zoo keeper and brings home an unusual friend.Laurent is furious.





	Needles of Love

**Author's Note:**

> porcupine, chair, smoothie 
> 
> I've done this before (3 random words challenge) and I really like doing this challenge, especially with Lamen, so here goes another one. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“Get that thing out of this house, _immediately_ ” Laurent hisses, his eyes hard. Damen laughs loudly, adjusting the gloves on his hands.

“Relax, babe, he’s harmless,” Damen says, wrapping his arms around Laurent’s shoulders. Laurent jerks, his body going rigid. He was currently curled up in a chair, his knees pressed to his chest and his thin arms wrapped securely around them. Damen was always so surprised at how vulnerable Laurent truly was, the way he carried himself in life suggested that he feared nothing. However, Damen gets a warm feeling inside his stomach whenever he realizes that he is one of very few people who get to see Laurent like this. Laurent gives him a disdainful look, but Damen can see the fear hidden away in those profoundly blue eyes.

“It’s a rodent with fucking _spikes_ on its back, Damen!” Laurent yells, his voice nearly hysterical. Damen snorts once, looking at the creature in the middle of their living room. He was a young Crested porcupine with dark fur that tapered out into white, razor sharp quills. Damen thought bringing the porcupine home would be a fun way of getting Laurent more acquainted with his line of work.

It wasn’t going very well so far.

“His name is Zeke!” Damen says in lieu of a response. He presses a chaste kiss to Laurent’s blond head before he sits down on the floor in front of Laurent’s seat, “He’s from our sister park in Africa.” Damen holds out a piece of clover, calling out until Zeke comes over slowly and starts nibbling on the green leaf, “He’s really sweet, I promise.”

“Damen…” Laurent sighs, exasperated. Damen smiles at the sound, knowing that Laurent’s stubbornness was wearing out. He looks behind him, giving him a soft smile. Laurent’s cheeks were flushed, his eyes unguarded and open. Damen loved looking at him when he was like this; with all of his defenses down and his heart open.

“Just come pet him,” Damen says softly, reaching out a hand to Laurent. Laurent eyes him one last time before sighing, reaching out to press his pale hand into Damen’s. His hand was slender and elegant, much like the rest of his body, the tips of his fingers ice cold. Damen pulls until Laurent is settled on the ground next to him. He gives a wary look towards Zeke, his eyes no longer hiding the genuine fear he was feeling. “It’s simple. You just go along the grain of his quills,” Damen says quietly, laying a gentle hand on Zeke’s head. He slides his hand back, gently petting down Zeke’s spine. The animal huffs, giving a small noise of pleasure as he continues to munch on his lunch. Damen smiles widely at that, looking over to Laurent. Laurent’s gaze was on Damen, a small smile on his lips.

  
“How do you always do that?” Laurent asks in a small voice, shaking his head. Damen furrows his brow, his stomach tightening.

“Do what?”

“Make everything seem so easy,” Laurent huffs, almost like he couldn’t believe it himself, “It’s infuriating.” Damen laughs, continuing to pet the porcupine.

“It is easy,” Damen snorts, “It’s like petting a dog...with spikes.” Laurent rolls his eyes but can’t stop the laugh that erupts from his throat. He puts a hand over his mouth, his pale cheeks pink with laughter. Damen would never get tired of hearing that sound.

“No you idiot,” Laurent sighs, his smile still evident, “How do you make me feel like...I have a choice?” Damen looks at him intensely, his other hand coming to push a strand of his soft, blond hair behind his ear.

“Because you do. You’ll always have a choice, Laurent. I would never take that away from you.” Damen says, placing his hand on the back of Laurent’s head. He pushes it forward until Laurent presses his forehead against Damen’s. “I love you, Laurent.”

“I love you too, Damianos,” Laurent says in return, his voice nearly breathless. He presses a kiss to Laurent’s nose, smiling at the eye roll he gets as a response.

“So, will you pet Zeke?” Damen asks after a moment. Laurent pulls back his head. His face is unreadable but his eyes were bright.

“...Okay,” Laurent says reluctantly, his pale hand reaching out. He replaces Damen’s hand, his pale hand a gentle pressure. He exhales, his fingers slowly sliding down the animal’s back. Zeke makes a soft sound, moving ever so slowly in Laurent’s direction.

“He likes you,” Damen says, delighted. This puts a subtle smile on Laurent’s lips as he continues to pet him.

“It’s...odd,” Laurent hums, “But it’s not bad.”

They sit there petting Zeke until he grows tired of eating and Damen puts him back into his cage. Damen rises to his feet, holding out his hand until Laurent is pulled up too.

“Since you tried a new thing, I think you deserve a smoothie,” Damen says, kissing Laurent on the cheek before he moves into the kitchen.

“I do, do I?” Laurent says in the same sarcastic tone he always uses. Damen hums, taking out all the ingredients that went into Laurent’s favorite smoothie; strawberry and spinach.

  
“Zeke reminds me of you; prickly on the outside but warm and sweet on the inside.” Damen laughs, laughing even more when Laurent makes a scoffing noise. He turns and is immediately met with Laurent’s cold gaze.

“Say that again, and I’ll make sure to pour my smoothie all over your head,” Laurent warns, bumping his hip into Damen’s as he goes to cut up the strawberries. Damen smirks, hooking a hand around his thin waist.

“If you can reach that far, sure.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

\--

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
